Woman Tortured After Arrest For Posting Criticism On Social Media

A woman political prisoner jailed in Iran over criticism of the regime on social media says she has been tortured by doctors and attacked by fellow prisoners who the guards reward for beating enemies of the state.

Photo shows Shakila Monfared, undated photo. She is a civil activist and a political prisoner from Iran. (Newsflash)

Civil rights activist Shakila Monfared has been jailed for over two years after her online activities were classified as working against the system and insulting religion.

She was locked up in the feared Qarchak Prison For Women in Qarchak, that was previously part of Varamin County in Iran’s Tehran Province.

In a leaked voice message, she complained that she had been severely beaten inside by other prisoners, who she alleged were given privileges and benefits for attacking those standing up for human rights.

In the voice message released by her family, she said: “I was assaulted and beaten in such a way that my left foot was broken and left covered in bruises.

“The assault was carried out by medical staff as I tried to get medical treatment. They told me I was an enemy of the state and had no right to treatment, and instead, I should be killed.

Photo shows Shakila Monfared, undated photo. She is a civil activist and a political prisoner from Iran. (Newsflash)

“They kicked me in the genital area and truly on the ground, and despite the fact that I was bleeding, a woman prison officer then sat on me so that I could not breathe.

“She attacked me and pulled my hair and banged my head on the ground until my eyes went black. This prison officer often attacks other prisoners and insults us by saying we don’t have a right to live.”

She said that the General Directorate of Prison Guards in Tehran is not doing anything to protect the lives of prisoners like her and as a result, she is going on a hunger strike.

The “Campaign to Support Political Prisoners and Abolish Execution”, also reported how she had been attacked by other prisoners, and prison officials.

They added that the other prisoners who attacked her had been “hired” by the prison officials and that she was not safe.

Photo shows Shakila Monfared, undated photo. She is a civil activist and a political prisoner from Iran. (Newsflash)

She has been in prison since September 2021, when she was arrested by the security forces in Tehran as she left her home and was transferred to one of the IRGC Intelligence Organization detention centres in Tehran.

“Campaign to Support Political Prisoners and Abolish Execution” said that it is a standard strategy in Iran to use other prisoners to ‘teach a lesson’ to human rights activists and other campaigners seen as enemies of the state.

Photo shows Shakila Monfared, undated photo. She is a civil activist and a political prisoner from Iran. (Newsflash)

They added that these prisoners of conscience face murder, torture and beating, the pressure of trumped up charges, a lack of medical attention, and making sure they are moved to prison is far away from where the families can visit them as well as harassing their friends.